I'm putting together parts for a fixie commuter build, and I'm looking for a decent sealed-bearing hub -- does anyone have experience with this rear track hub from Nashbar?

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

It looks pretty decent -- sealed bearings, it can be set up fixed/fixed or fixed/free, and it looks like the axles are long enough to add spacers for 130mm spacing.

Thanks!

looks like a good starter hub!

It is the same exact hub as the IRO hub. People around here say a lot of good things about them. Do a search for IRO hub and you should see a lot of good reviews.

i have it on my commuter,
the quality of machining is excellent, the bearings are nice and the fact that it comes with two lock rings and true track nuts makes it a nice deal in my opinion

Add to that the Velocity hub. So, the IRO, Nasbar, and Velocity hubs are all made by the same company, Formula. The bearings are very, very nice. The Nashbar looks to have the advantage of being fixed/fixed.

Actually. If you are buying the hubset you should buy it from IRO directly for two reasons.
#1 - It is cheaper.
#2 - Tony (Tony is IRO) is a hell of a guy according to the folks around here and it's good karma to help out a small time businessman out instead of a huge soul-sucking corporation like Nashbar.

I know that my next wheelset is sure going to have IRO hubs. They look great, they're cheap and they are super smooth according to just about everyone.

edit: here is a link: https://www.irocycle.com/

Agreed. Get em from Tony. Small business, great prices, great service.

another vote for tony. i have iros and they rule. as far as nashbar goes, though, it's better than excel or world cycling productions, imho.

I wish Tony's hubs came in fixed/fixed. But they do come in various spacings.

I wish they came in black, however, that's still not going to stop me from picking up a new wheelset from Tony in a month or two. Deep V's baby!

UPS brought me a package last night...

IRO base wheelset. (Red Aeroheads)

Stoked.

Photos! I'm curious to how the red looks. And the aeroheads in general.

Why do you think it's the same exact hub as the IRO/Formula hub? Is this just a guess or do you have something to back it up?

As I have said before, I have hundreds of miles on a pair of Nashbar track hubs.
No problems, smooth as can be. Easy wheelbuild, nice finish, all nice.

Ugh! The pictures turned out disgusting, then my battery died.

I'll get some better ones once the batteries are charged...til then:

#2

My cat is pretty thrilled about them too.

they're not the exact same hub.
they might both be made by formula, but who knows?

the nashbar hubs have different cutouts and are fixed/fixed. so they're not exactly the same at all.

they do come in black. except IRO doesn't sell them.

They're the exact same hubs that bensbike and NYCBikes sell on ebay. except that the ebay hubs are black.
bensbike is great, but I've heard not-so-great things about NYCbikes though.

i think nashbar explicitly states that its made by formula... and sheldon brown says the iro is made by formula, also...

im awaiting my wheelset & some stuff from Tony/IRO... he answers my email at odd hours of the night, has great prices, and threw in some sample cogs for free so i could test out my desired gearing.... great service

That's the downer part. But I'd rather support Tony. I built up a friend's bike with the deluxe wheelset - damn slick. Looks great and is solid.

Thanks for all the responses! I've already read great things about the IRO hubs. If in fact they're both OEM'd Formula hubs, I'd bet Formula just OEM's slightly different hubs to distinguish them for the different folks selling re-branded versions. And the IRO *is* $10 cheaper.

Ask Tony, maybe he can get them in black.

You are joking, right? Better in what regard?

I have one from SJSC, which IS same as nashbar hubs.I also put ambrosio hubs on my GF's bike which are fomula made. SJSC ones are holding up fine so far, but fomula's are nicer looking, and seems a bit better quality.

Are those hollow axles with track nuts?